In this solo episode of Discussing Dogs in the D, Christine shares how pet and shelter photography can quite literally change a dog’s life. She talks about the power of first impressions, why stopping the scroll matters on adoption sites and social media, and how intentional images — from soulful eye contact to goofy personality shots — help dogs connect with potential adopters. Through stories of senior dogs, bonded pairs, long-term shelter residents, and even chaos goblins, she explains how thoughtful, compassionate photography becomes life-saving marketing. More than just taking pictures, it’s about changing narratives, creating emotional connection, and helping overlooked animals be seen beautifully — sometimes for the first time — on their way to finding home. 🐾
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Hey friends, welcome to Discussing Dogs in the D podcast, where Detroit's dog lovers come together. Hi, I'm Christine, and whether you're a rescue volunteer, a pet parent, a shelter supporter, or just someone who can't pass a dog on the street without saying hi, you're in the right place. Let's talk about all things dogs — how they change our lives and how we can possibly change theirs.
00:00:22 Speaker:
Hey everyone. Welcome back to the podcast where we talk all things dogs — like tails, training, treats, and what makes them amazing.
Today's episode is a little bit different. I was supposed to have a guest on this week, but sometimes the dog world keeps us on our toes. So today it's just me. And honestly, I'm a little bit excited because I want to talk about something that is very close to my heart. It is pet photography — and specifically shelter and rescue photography — and how a photo can quite literally change a dog's life.
Let's be honest. First impressions can be everything. When people are scrolling adoption websites, Petfinder, shelter pages, Instagram — all the social things — they're making split-second decisions. It's the same way we scroll anything. If the photo is dark, blurry, taken through kennel bars, or the dog looks terrified, people might scroll past.
Now, with that said, sometimes the sad photo behind kennel bars is the tear-jerking, "I gotta go meet this dog" sort of thing. But I think most people are looking for that happy smile, tongue out — all the things that make the dog look goofy. And that's what stops them in their scroll.
And it's not because people are bad and they want to see the happy and not the sad. I just think it's because they want to feel a connection. They want to look in the eyes and see that connection with the potential animal they're going to adopt.
And connection is everything.
A great photo doesn't just show a dog or a cat and what they look like. It shows who they are.
So I try to do photos at least once a month where I invite people to come get pictures taken. I also try to make it to different shelters and do photos on-site. But for the purpose of this story, I did photos — I believe it was early last year, 2025, in January or February — and I offered a space for people to come and bring their foster or go pick up a shelter dog.
A young woman from Detroit Animal Care and Control brought her foster, and we decided to do these peanut butter licking photos. Sometimes I try different concepts — like putting glasses on them, doing treat-tossing shots — I try to change it up. I change the colors so they look different every time, so we're not producing the same images over and over again.
So this dog came in, and she was a little stressed at first. But once we started giving her snacks and doing the peanut butter, she got into it. The foster had had her for quite some time. Once we started sharing these photos on social media, they got a lot of attention — and eventually she got adopted.
That foster circled back to me in tears because the person who was scrolling saw this dog licking her whole snout, and that's what prompted her to want to adopt her.
If it had been a photo of her on a couch, maybe it would have also gotten the cute “awws,” and maybe it would have stopped the scroll. But putting out different things — so people aren't seeing the same photos over and over — and stopping them mid-scroll is what I'm trying to do.
Especially because my passion is the long-term dogs, the disabled dogs, the senior dogs — and cats, too. Don't get me wrong. I photograph cats also. But my goal is to have people see a unique image, stop what they're doing, and want to read the story of this animal.
When I photograph shelter and rescue animals, I'm not just taking pictures. I want to be very intentional about it.
The eye contact is so important. That direct, soulful, looking-right-at-you photo. I want people to stop and say, "Oh. That's my dog."
Eye contact creates emotional attachment.
But I also want to show their personality. I want to give them time to decompress and untuck that tail and get goofy — show the goofball photos. Or if they're regal and elegant. Or are they the couch potato type? Are they just going to lay down, roll over, and show us their paws and belly?
I am also all for the chaos goblins.
There is a dog still available for adoption — I've done photos of him a couple of times. His name is Marco. He's available with Detroit Animal Care and Control, and gosh, that dog is the goofiest. Not only have we done studio photos, but last year we did photos of him with the Grinch.
If you're looking for a total fun, goofball, high-energy dog, I feel like the photos captured that.
And I want to show that in all my images.
Not just the studio-type photos. I go out and meet people in parks, in their homes, or wherever the dogs feel most comfortable. It is so much fun to photograph dogs outside — getting them mid-zoom, running at me, jumping in the air for a treat. It is so much fun to see the energy they have.
Those photos tell the story of what life is like with them.
Sometimes I also meet people in their homes. I come where they're fostering a dog or a cat. This one is huge. It shows what they're like on a couch. What happens when you put a blanket down and cuddle with them. How they play with their toys in a home. You can snap quick images of them snuggling with their stuffies.
No matter where I meet these animals, I like to get goofy wide-angle shots to bring out their personality if they're funny. I also try to get close-ups, especially if they're seniors. The gray whiskers. The speckles on their muzzle or paws. The little ear flaps. One ear up, one ear down.
I want to capture those little moments.
The details humanize them.
And even though I love eye contact, sometimes I capture images where they're looking up or off to the side — that moment of reflection. And that can provoke emotion, too.
When I invite people to come for photos or go to their shelter, the big thing for me is always the senior dogs, the longest residents, the ones in foster the longest — the imperfectly perfect ones.
The shy dogs. The black dogs.
What's wild is how often black dogs — and black cats — are overlooked. And they are often the most incredible animals. They make the best pets.
When you take their photo and show them warm and dignified, or silly and happy, sometimes it makes all the difference. It changes how people see them. It changes their narrative.
At some point last year, a friend who volunteers at Macomb Animal Control brought in two dogs found as strays. They were a bonded pair. They wanted so badly to get them adopted together.
They were both black dogs with gray muzzles. A little older. And they clearly needed each other.
When we photographed them interacting and showing affection, and then shared their story — it was incredible. She messaged me and said someone saw the pictures and they were immediately adopted together.
That's it for me.
That's why I do it.
Especially for the hard-to-place dogs.
Photographing shelter dogs is not glamorous. They come in scared. Tails tucked. Neglected. Sometimes with sores or open wounds. They don't understand what's happening. And here I am with a flash and a big lens.
Sometimes it takes time just to get them to relax. Sometimes they're not taking treats. They just want to hide. So half the job is making them feel safe. Let them sniff the camera. Let them see the shutter snap. Give them a treat. Show them it's okay.
What I've learned is patience matters more than posing.
Sometimes we walk away with nothing — because I'm not going to stress them out.
So why does this matter?
Because a better photo gets more clicks. More shares. A great story with it can lead to more applications. And more applications mean more chances at a home.
Photography is marketing.
But in rescue, it's life-saving marketing.
Every dog deserves to be seen beautifully at least once in their life.
If you've adopted a dog because of a photo, I would love to hear that story — even if it wasn't one of mine. What stopped you in your scroll? What made you click?
Message us on Instagram at Dogs in the D. I'd love to share your story.
If you volunteer and take shelter photos, I want to hear from you too. What works? How do you calm them? How do you get great images in noisy shelters?
If you've ever shared a rescue post, you've helped more than you know.
If you're in rescue and need photography help — reach out. This work matters. These animals matter. And sometimes the only thing standing between them and a home is just one photo.
Thank you all for listening today. In a couple of months, I'll be doing a full episode on shelter photography tips — the best tricks I've learned over the years. So stay tuned for that.
If you have ideas for the podcast or guests you'd love to hear, message us on Instagram at Dogs in the D. I'll leave the link in the show notes.
00:14:32 Speaker:
I appreciate all of you for tuning in to Discussing Dogs in the D podcast. Until next time, stay kind, stay curious, and give your dog a cookie for me. 🐾